Mother Of Teen Killed In W. Skyline Parkway Rollover Remembers His Love For Cars, Family

DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth mother is remembering her son, Tyriq Gordon, 19, who died over the weekend after his beloved Audi left West Skyline Parkway in what authorities believe was a high-speed accident.

Tyriq celebrates 19th birthday

Tyriq planned to celebrate his 20th birthday on Nov. 22.

The one-vehicle accident happened around 1:15 a.m. Saturday on the 5-thousand block of West Skyline parkway.

Police said Tyriq’s vehicle left the roadway, landed upside down and started on fire about 30 feet below.

Tyriq died at the scene.

Police believe the vehicle was going too fast to navigate the curve in the road.

His mother, Naomi Gordon, told FOX 21’s Dan Hanger on Sunday that Tyriq was a hard worker, loved video games and especially loved working on cars.

But unfortunately, his love for a powerful engine ultimately took his life too soon.

“I answered the door, and it was three officers, and the first thing they said was, ‘Can we come in?’ And I said, this can’t be real life,” explained Gordon.  “I would say definitely hug your family a little tighter, a little more often, because 19 years was not enough …  we’re not invincible. Things can change in the blink of an eye.”

This is not the first time a vehicle has gone over Skyline Parkway, and it’s not the first death.

Naomi believes he son might be alive if guard rails or strong protections were in place along Skyline Parkway – or at least along the curves – instead of small rocks.

“These are just little rocks that almost, I think, acted like a propel for him, because you can see where the police marked it, and they said he was about 30 feet down,” Gordon explained. “Maybe the city would build something on those curves. I don’t know. You know, it’s a beautiful outlook, you know, overlook. I love the road because of his its beauty, but I’ve been up here too long to see the devastation that’s happened up there.”

Tyriq, mom, sister

A celebration of life is happening on Friday, Tyriq’s 20th birthday, at Clyde Iron Works beginning at 11 a.m.

There’s also a GoFundMe set up to help with funeral expenses and to get a car Tyriq was working on up and running, which will be given to his little sister, Niyah, when she is ready to drive.

Below is a statement from Kara Zimmerman, Naomi’s sister and Tyriq’s aunt:

Tyriq William Gordon was born on November 22, 2004, and was tragically taken from us just 6 days before his 20th birthday. He was raised by his devoted mother, Naomi Gordon, he and his sister, Niyah, were the center of her universe. She lives to love them and make them happy. Naomi raised Tyriq to be kind, compassionate, resilient, and determined. Tyriq brought the light into any place he entered, he was empathetic from a young age, and showed kindness that was unmatched.  He loved spending time with friends and family,  helping his grandpa build his house, watching football, and working on his car. He has left a hole in our hearts that is impossible to begin to fill, but we will remember his bright smile, quick wit, and unconditional love.

The philosopher Marcel Proust said, “We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future.  It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon, this afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance.”